thought
nature
T HE Q UA NT U M E DI TIO N
NO. 017
09.01|2011
N AT U R E OF BEING AND THE WORLD
interview with dr. amit goswami, the practitioner of spirituality and transformation, and pioneer of science within consciousness
cognition
biology
spirituality
P ERCI PIO
passion
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- kabir
and the lord himself taking form: // and the sight of this has made kabir a servant.
all swing! the sky and the earth and the air and the water;
the sun and the moon in their courses are there // millions of ages pass, and the swing goes on.
and that swing never ceases its sway // millions of beings are there:
there has the mind made a swing: // thereon hang all beings and all worlds,
between the poles of the conscious and the unconscious,
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THE MEN TURE ING WOR per·cip·io | p r-’sip-eo | e
{v}
1. the act of receiving, collecting, and taking possession and apprehension with the mind or senses 2. learn, know, conceive, understand, perceive.
COGNITION / Ian J. Thompson Quantum Mechanics and Consciousness: A Causal Correspondence Theory
BIOLOGY / Michael Garfield The Spooky World Of Quantum Biology
SPIRITUALITY / Raja Ramanna Scientific Philosophy with Reference to Buddhist Thought
INTERVIEW / Edie Weinstein Moser Dr. Amit Goswami
THOUGHT / Thomas J. McFarlane Quantum Physics, Depth Psychology, and Beyond
PASSION / John Stahl The Metaphysics of Sex
NATURE / Brian Greene A Theory of Everything?
FU N DA TA L N A E O F BE AND TH E RLD
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the role of consciousness in measurement has little direct bearing on the problem of how the mind and brain function together. in order to say something relevant to the brain sciences, we have to go beyond conventional quantum mechanics (of whatever interpretation), and make new hypotheses with definite empirical content.
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QUANTUM MECHANICS & CONSCIOUS NESS requiring no changes to quantum theory, as consciousness then makes no change to any predicted probability. Squire’s conclusion, unfortunately, does not yield any functional role which may be important in mental and/or physiological processes in the brain. Donald (1990) does go on to give circumstances in which ‘measurement collapses’ are important for the function of neural cells, but their effects are simply to reinstate the ‘classical’ on/off nature of the sodium switches even when there are quantum uncertainties. Since, moreover, it is possible that the ‘measurement problem’ can be solved within physics the role of consciousness in measurement has little direct bearing on the problem of how the mind and brain function together. In order to say something relevant to the brain sciences, we have to go beyond conventional quantum mechanics (of whatever interpretation), and make new hypotheses with definite empirical content. We have to postulate that ‘consciousness’ (whatever that may turn out to be) influences the actual outcome of neural events, and does not just observe them as if disinterestedly.
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The Mind-Brain Problem The problem of the relation between mind and body is well known as a difficult `world knot’. Over the centuries various monistic and dualistic theories have been proposed, and the subject has had renewed interest as we try to assimilate the implications of quantum physics. These implications may make us reexamine our views of brains and bodies, but it is still not clear what consequences they have for our understanding of minds. Earlier in the interpretation of quantum mechanics, it appeared that the problem of measurement could only be solved by introducing some basic notion of an observer, presumably a conscious observer. Many scientists and philosophers, Eccles and Popper, Faber, Squires, Donald (among others) have taken this solution to indicate an essential role of consciousness in the physical world. Consciousness, to solve the measurement problem, must initiate the transition from quantum potentialities to definite actualities. It would not have to select which actuality, but merely cause some actuality to be produced. Squires and Donald accept this merely ‘collapse prompting’ role of consciousness, and their position has the advantage of
001 COGNITION
A CAUSAL CORRESPONDENCE THEORY IAN J. THOMPSON
THE CLOSE TIONAL DE DENCE OF M AND BRAIN 008
Similarity of Mind & (Quantum) Brain I am here going to draw analogies between mental and quantum phenomena. If you already know something about minds, these may help you understand quantum physics! Some of these have been pointed out by Bohm and more recently by Jahn & Dunne and Zohar. Jahn and Zohar have tended to concentrate on the analogies between mental structures, and the structure of matter entailed by quantum mechanics. They look at analogies between, for example, minds and quantum systems, and then especially analogies between how minds interact and how quantum systems interact. I will be looking rather at analogies between individual mental processes within minds and individual quantum processes. Only when we understand the elementary processes of both the mind and quantum matter, can we more completely understand complex systems of either kind.
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A Different Approach Despite the apparently smallness of quantum effects in the brain, I still believe that quantum physics is important in our understanding of its function. To show this, I am going to take a different approach. I am going to assume, in a non-reductionist way, as Eccles and others do, that the mind is (in some way) distinct from the brain. But I want to then see how they could be intimately connected again. Psychologists and psychiatrists are aware of the close functional dependence of minds and brains, so that physiological changes very readily affect the mind in many ways, and mental intentions and attitudes affect both the normal and abnormal functioning of the nervous system. I am going to take a ‘top-down’ to the problem of interaction, and will suggest how it may usefully be organised, from the functional point of view. I am not going to assume that quantum mechanics must be unchanged; I am therefore going to follow the ‘spirit’ if not the ‘letter’ of quantum physics. The aim is to motivate a plausible general view which will make predictions about what goes on. Afterwards I will discuss the origins of this general view. The guiding principle I use is that the mind and brain are similar in structure and function, and that they need each other to operate. They are not identical, but are similar in the sense of ‘resonating’ or ‘corresponding’ to each other from the functional point of view. In order to see how the mind and brain are similar and fit together in this general way, we do need to remember quantum physics.
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Quantum Physics and Mental Processes In order to make analogies with quantum physics, I am going to assume something like the ‘propensity interpretation’ of Maxwell and Thompson. I am also going to assume a view of mind that is in part phenomenological (after Bergson especially), and in part influenced by (a few of) the aims of artificial intelligence (AI) and the recognition of the complexity of even apparently elementary mental processes. On this basis, we can draw analogies between the fundamental processes of quantum physics and the fundamental processes of mental activity:
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Quantum objects do not evolve uniformly in time, but as a succession of ‘states’ between intermittently ‘actualising’ to one outcome of a certain range. + Mental entities do not evolve uniformly in time, but in a succession of ‘specious presents’ between intermittent changes of state.
The state of a quantum object is not a static configuration of elements, but a ‘state of propensity’ for possible virtual proceses, possible interactions and possible actual (observable) outcomes. + The state of a mind is not static, but more a ‘state of propensity’: it is a continual recollection of past events and continual anticipation of future possibilities.
The state of a quantum object may be described by a wave function distributed is space, but this does not mean that the quantum object is composed of elements so distributed. Rather, it has a basic unity in that it will always act as a whole. + The state of a mind has a similar basic unity. The thoughts in the mind each may implicitly contain diverse elements, but if they lead to action these diverse elements were merely describing where the mind could have operated.
The driving impetus of quantum processes are not external, but the very propensities of which quantum objects are forms. These propensities operate according to the (spatiotemporal) circumstantial relations with other objects. + The driving motivation of mental processes are not external, but the very motivational loves which underly all psychic activities. These motivations operate according to the circumstances at each time.
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Mind and Brain as ‘Hand and Glove’ In view of these analogies it is unlikely that the mental and physical processes are independent, and merely interact with each other at certain ‘mental-neural’ events. We could hold that they both derive from a ‘quantum realm’, but I hold to a more radical (but simpler) idea that the propensities for physical processes derive from mental processes, which in turn always act according to past physical events. This idea means that the mental and physical realms are far from separable, but are intimately related in a very systematic manner. This theory of mind and brain connection establishes in intimate relation between them. It is not a relation of identity, or a relation of aspects or points of view. It is more a relation of inner and outer, or cause and effect: propensities in the brain are the causal product of mental actions. The mind and brain fit together by approximate analogy with hand and glove, or, better, with tissue and skin. The mind provides all the directed activity of the brain, just as the tissue of the hand provides all the directed activity of the skin of the hand. When we look at the head, we only see the brain, just as we only see skin when we look at the hand. It appears that the skin of the hand does all the work, but we don’t assume that that is all there is. It appears that the skin has life, but we know that all but the simplest life comes from the underlying tissue. The skin (as does the brain) has simple capacities for action and reactions, but it is a mistake to imagine that all capacities for activity and information processing belong to the skin (or the brain).
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IT IS UNLIKE LY THAT THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL PROCESSES ARE INDE PENDENT
THE SPOOKY WORLD OF QUANTUM BIOLOGY MICHAEL GARFIELD
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computers use “qubits” that include all possible superpositions of a particle’s classical state. Instead of being “trapped” in a single configuration, the logic gates of a quantum computer employ multiple possibilities in synchrony — using the entire set of alternative outcomes to arrive at an answer. It’s a promising avenue for people with big plans for strong AI or virtual reality. The only complication is that coherence — in which the many possible states of a particle or group of particles stay hung in superposition — is something scientists have only been able to study under extremely controlled conditions. It’s only possible when that system doesn’t interact with anything else that might “collapse the wave function,” and so most of the major options for quantum computing involve impractical scenarios like creating a supercooled vacuum. This is one of the reasons that many scientists have considered quantum biology both unlikely and unscientific. The thermal noise of biological systems seemed too great to allow for quantum weirdness; and even if it could, how on Earth would we study it? But science is the story of ingenuity’s victory over shortsightedness — and one research team, led by Gregory S. Engel at UC Berkeley, has devised way to directly detect and observe quantum-level processes within a cell using high-speed lasers. They were trying to establish exactly how organic photosynthesis approaches 95% efficiency, whereas the most sophisticated human solar cells operate at only half that. What they discovered is nothing short of remarkable. Using femtosecond lasers to follow the movement of light energy through a photosynthetic bacterial cell, Engel observed the energy traveling along every possible direction at the same time. Instead of following a single trajectory like the electrons on a silicon chip, the energy in photosynthesis explores all of its options, collapsing the quantum process only after the fact, retroactively "deciding" upon the most efficient path.
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the new science of quantum biology is teaching us about how the actual behavior of evolution is governed by disconcertingly spooky processes – time travel being one of them. will quantum computation finally be realized by biomimicry, in organic systems? evolution is the new (old) computation...and we’re about to take the reins.
One hundred and fifty years ago, paleontologist Thomas Henry Huxley (an autodidact and philosopher who coined the term “agnostic” and was known as “Darwin’s Bulldog” for his passionate defense of natural selection) asserted that humankind would eventually take the processes of evolution into our own hands. Within a few decades of his proclamation, a cadre of equally brilliant scientists including Werner Heisenberg, David Bohm, and Max Planck began to unravel the mysterious properties of quantum mechanics. These two theories — evolutionary and quantum dynamics — can each be considered among the most important discoveries of all time. Taken together, they have changed almost everything about the way we understand reality. However, in spite of the popularity of interdisciplinary research and unifying theories over the last hundred years (despite, even, quantum physicist Erwin Schröedinger’s 1944 book, What Is Life?), it was only recently that the relationship between these two vastly important domains was even considered. Now, a new kind of science, called “quantum biology,” is beginning to emerge — and it could change everything we know, again. The premise is simple. Life is a molecular process; molecular processes operate according to the quantum playbook; therefore, life is a quantum process. And yet, it wasn’t until the nineties that anyone suggested biology could be better understood by looking at it through the lens of quantum theory. (The seminal paper was D.V. Nanopoulos’ “Theory of brain function, quantum mechanics and superstrings.”) Not long after that, the idea caught on — particularly in the neurosciences, where the idea of the brain as a quantum computer quickly became a topic of fierce debate. Quantum computation, a science still in its infancy, promises swiftness and efficiency vastly superior to anything possible with conventional silicon chips. Rather than relying on binary bits like contemporary systems, quantum
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What does this all mean? Not only does quan- den, in his excellent primer Quantum Evolution, tum phenomena occur in living systems, but the cites several experiments that suggest certain basic processes of life we take for granted rely mutations are “intelligent,” even “anticipatory.” on the transfer of information backward in time. For example, bacterial cultures have been obLife is so magical because it cheats. served to evolve clever responses to lab toxins Although the mechanisms by which a living at speeds that — just like the emergence of cell can prevent decoherence by dampening DNA from a primordial soup — defy astronomiits own chemical “noise” remain utterly mys- cal odds. Can biological quantum calculation terious, findings such as Engels’ conclusively account for this? McFadden thinks so. (His demonstrate that room-temperature quantum hypothesis was itself anticipated in the science computing is possible (and knowing how some- fiction of Greg Egan, whose novel Teranesia feathing works isn’t always necessary in order to tured some very “spooky” retrocausal mutations use it). And Engel’s group isn’t the only team to — including the instantaneous appearance of detect it: other laboratories have implicated a entire new ecosystems via competing future phenomenon called electron tunneling (micro- evolutionary scenarios. Whether such extreme teleportation, in which an electron disappears examples of quantum biological principles are in one location and instantaneously appears possible remains to be seen.) somewhere else without having traveled the As we continue to probe biological phenomena intermediate distance) at work behind a range that beat quantum computer scientists to the of organic phenomena, from our sense of smell punch, a new picture emerges of evolutionary and the activities of our enzymes to the neu- computing and design. Huxley’s prophecy that tralization of free radicals with anti-oxidants… we will eventually take the reins of our own evopossibly even consciousness itself. Paul lution might come true sooner than predicted by Davies (Arizona State University) and John Joe establishment geneticists. But by appealing to McFadden (The University of Surrey) have in- the quantum oracle, we may be acting in service dependently suggested that computation in of something far older and more intelligent than the netherworld of quantum coherence might we can even guess. Ultrafast computing, accelexplain how the earliest self-replicating mol- erated by our explorations into the new science ecules overcame the inestimable odds against of quantum biology, could well be the critical them — life’s very existence may be the conse- technology that pushes us over the edge into quence and continued operation of a quantum the Singularity – a timeless and transcendent computer. We may ultimately have to accept event in which we already live, because it is the our human quest for qubit calculation as a kind nature of life itself – a vast sentience beyond of biomimicry, rather than something new and human comprehension, and we are merely the unique. newest avenue for its expression in the world. Quantum biology stands to answer other big Classical or quantum, human or ecological, natquestions, as well — questions that many con- ural selection still gets the last laugh. temporary biologists prefer to ignore. McFad-
SCIENTIFIC PHILOSOPHY W/ REFERENCE TO BUDDHIST THOUGHT
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early buddhist philosophy is very close to scientific philosophy of modern times, and many a distinguished scientist has expressed great admiration for the clear exposition of the buddha on the nature of the universe and the interaction between its various components. the more recent discoveries of science make it necessary to study buddhist epistemology in order to get a proper view of the universe and man’s position in it.
RAJA RAMANNA
[In Reference] S(A) stands for the Acit set, S(C) stands for the Cit set and S(I) for the Isvara set.
We start with a classification of the Universe into three parts, a classification which must have had an early origin but is attributed to the great Bhakti Philosopher Ramanuja (11th century). This classification is not only scientifically appealing but is as valid today as it was a thousand years ago. Ramanuja divides the Universe into three parts: Achit, Chit and Isvara, and the interaction between the three divisions, brings Science and Philosophy into a proper focus. In this classification the original meanings of the divisions are: Universal Classification S(I) as an Anthropomorphic Absolute Entity isolated from the world and as a father figure, is the description in the Jewish, and hence the Christian religions and Islam. The contact with life and the material world is held through prophets, saints and in the case of Christianity a Messiah (son of God). A kind of anthropomorphic entity of a polytheistic nature exists in Puranic Hinduism, but the entity is not isolated from ordinary life and is one in which the God or Gods identify themselves with human weakness and errors, much like the Greek divinities. However, Vedantic influence has brought all these divinities together by a monism of the most comprehensive type.
The Vedantic interpretation of S(I) is very abstract and as we shall see later it interacts with the other sets in a very subtle way as interpreted by Sankara (8th century) and Ramanuja. This interaction is denied by Madhva (14th century) and God is completely separate from Cit and Acit and in this sense his interpretation of Vedanta begins to resemble the conclusions of the Mediterranean religions. Later Buddhism admits of the Divinity of the Buddha which seems like an obvious influence of Hinduism. The phase of Buddhism during which the Sunyata theory was developed, is another interesting phase of philosophy which has parallels in scientific thought. We discuss this in some detail. All the interpretations of the interactions between the sets, depend on the meaning of Reality. This word is a deeply intuitive one. Even in science the word has found no clear definition and its meaning has been and is still being debated at great length. One would have expected that Science with its dependence on quantification, the language of mathematics and possibilities of experimental verification, would have no difficulty in defining Reality, but this has not been the case.
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Things which have no consciousness
Things which have consciousness
God
All material things, and whose behaviour is best explained by modern science.
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All things which have life and exhibit biological behaviour and hence possess a consciousness. The exhibited consciousness being higher in quality, depending on the evolutionary status of the concerned object.
A power which develops a consciousness with a desire to do good to all life.
Pure Sensation as Perception Dignaga gave a new definition of ‘perception’: a knowledge that is free from all conceptual constructions, including name and class concepts. In effect, he regarded only the pure sensation as perception. In his theory of inference, he distinguished between inference for oneself and inference for the other and laid down three criteria of a valid middle term (hetu), viz., that it should ‘cover’ the minor premise (paksa), be present in the similar instances (sapaksa), and be absent in dissimilar instances (vipaksa). In his Hetucakra (“The Wheel of Reason”), Dignaga set up a matrix of nine types of middle terms, of which two yield valid conclusions, two contradictory, and the rest uncertain conclusions. Dignaga’s tradition is further developed in the seventh century by Dharmakirti, who modified his definition of perception to include the condition ‘unerring’ and distinguished, in his Nyayabindu, between four kinds of perception: that by the five senses, that by the mind, selfconsciousness, and perception of the yogins. He also introduced a threefold distinction of valid middle terms: the middle must be related to the major either by identity (“This is a tree, because this is an oak”) or as cause and effect (“This is fiery, because it is smoky”), or the hetu is a nonperception from which the absence of the major could be inferred. Dharmakirti consolidated the central epistemological thesis of the Buddhists that perception and inference have their own exclusive objects. The object of the former is the pure particular (svalaksana), and the object of the latter (he regarded judgements as containing elements of inference) is the universal (samanyalaksana). In their metaphysical positions, Dignaga and Dharmakirti represent a moderate form of idealism.
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stored ‘seeds’ would wither away (alayapravrtti). Though the individual ideas are in the last resort mere imaginations, in its essential nature consciousness is without distinctions of subject and object. This ineffable consciousness is the ‘suchness’ (tathata) underlying all things. Neither the alaya nor the tathata, however is to be construed as being substantial. Vasubandhu and Asanga are also responsible for the growth of Buddhist logic. Vasubandhu defined ‘perception’ as the knowledge that is caused by the object, but this was rejected by Dignaga, a fifth-century logician, as a definition belonging to his earlier realistic phase. Vasubandhu defined ‘inference’ as a knowledge of an object through its mark, but Dharmottara, an eighth-century commentator pointed out that this is not a definition of the essence of inference but only of its origin.
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Ego Consciousness and Stored Consciousness Yogacara idealism is a logical development of Sautrantika representationism: the conception of a merely inferred external world is not satisfying. If consciousness is self-intimating (svaprakasa) and if consciousness can assume forms (sakaravijnana), it seems more logical to hold that the forms ascribed to alleged external objects are really forms of consciousness. One only needs another conception: a beginningless power that would account for this tendency of consciousness to take up forms and to externalize them. This is the power of kalpana, or imagination. Yogacara added two other modes of consciousness to the traditional six: ego (manovijnana) and storehouse consciousness (alaya-vijnana). The alaya-vijnana contains stored traces of past experiences, both pure and defiled seeds. Early anticipations of the notions of the subconscious or the unconscious, they are theoretical constructs to account for the order of individual experience. It still remained, however, to account for a common ‘world-which’ in fact remains the main difficulty of Yogacara. The state of Nirvana becomes a state in which the alaya with its
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ONE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT SCIENCE, WITH ITS DEPENDEN CE ON QUAN TIFICATION, WOULD HAVE NO DIFFICULTY DE
THE AIM OF HUMAN LIFE IS TO REAL IZE THAT HU MAN NATURE IS DIVINE
amit goswami, a self proclaimed practitioner of spirituality and transformation and a quantum activist, was raised on two ideas: human nature is divine. and the aim of human life is to realize that human nature is divine.
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Quantum Activist, which was nominated for numerous prestigious film awards worldwide and which speaks to the universality of its message, that matter and energy are not separate and neither are we as human beings, separate from each other and our Source. In his latest release, Amit merges the seemingly diverse and distinct worlds of science and spirituality. He explores the scientific evidence of the existence of God, knowing that there are as many theories as there are people who accept them. This is not a film that is simply filled with conjecture and mental musings, but rather, one of enticement to action. He poses the question: “God is already here. What are you going to do about it?” The imagery in the DVD is colorful and beckons the viewer into a dance with the concepts presented. A spiritual devotee bathing in the Ganges, merges with icons of various faith traditions, blends with pulsing and flowing waves, laps over into black and white footage of circa 1950’s-60’s classrooms with neatly dressed students animatedly raising their hands in response to what their instructor is writing on the board. For most of us, the concept that there was anything beyond the material/physical world, was unimaginable. What quantum physics is offering is the idea that energy is part of the equation. The journey Amit has taken, began when as the son of a “Brahman guru” with many students who would study with him, he was introduced to the Upanishads by his father. The Upanishads are Hindu teachings that focus on the Vedanta; core traditions on self realization that are based on two ideas: Human nature is divine.
The aim of human life is to realize that human nature is divine.
GOSWA MI In the course of his life, Amit has come full circle from spiritual realms to scientific ‘facts’ and back again to weave those concepts, adding a thread of humor into the tapestry to create something indeed beautiful.
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Imagine sitting in a college classroom and in strides a ‘seasoned’ man with years of education and experience in the field of physics. His comfortable and approachable manner automatically sets you at ease, as you know you are about to enter a world of matter and energy, quarks and non-locality, where anything can happen… and frequently does. This is not your typical scientist and not your ordinary physics class. You have entered the world of Amit Goswami, Ph.D Here you will likely question all you had believed about the nature of that which we call ‘reality’. He is a revolutionary and his message shakes up the status quo of what was always accepted in physics. I became familiar with Dr. Goswami’s work when watching the classic What The Bleep Do We Know?, followed by Down The Rabbit Hole and was impressed by the way in which he was able to take a mind twisting subject and make it simpler to comprehend, even for someone like myself who is more right brain creative than left brain, linear-logical. Amit is professor emeritus in the theoretical physics department of the University of Oregon, Eugene, where he has served since 1968. He is a pioneer of the new paradigm of science called “science within consciousness”. He is also the author of the highly successful textbook Quantum Mechanics that is used in Universities throughout the world. His two volume textbook for non-scientists, The Physicist’s View of Nature traces the decline and rediscovery of the concept of God within science. In The Visionary Window, Goswami demonstrated how science and spirituality could be integrated. In Physics of the Soul he developed a theory of survival after death and reincarnation. His book Quantum Creativity is a tour de force instruction about how to engage in both outer and inner creativity. The Quantum Doctor integrates conventional and alternative medicine. In his latest book, God is Not Dead, we explore what quantum physics tells us about our origins and how we should live. He refers to himself as “a practitioner of spirituality and transformation and a quantum activist.” He appears in the film What the Bleep Do We Know, The Dalai Lama Renaissance, and the upcoming documentary The
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DR. AMIT
CON NES GRO ALL
Interview by Edie Weinstein Moser
EM: What is a Quantum Activist in addition to being the title of your newly released DVD? What is the premise of the DVD?
AG: A quantum activist uses the transformational principles of quantum physics, such as quantum non-locality and quantum leaps, to transform not only himself or herself but also the society. The premise of the DVD is to clarify the transformational world view of quantum physics, the evolutionary movement of consciousness that is going on right now, and the role of the quantum activist. EM: Is there a simple way to explain quantum physics?
AG: Quantum physics says that all objects are possibilities for consciousness to choose from. Simple enough. EM: Have you met with resistance as new ideas have come to the forefront?
AG: Yes, of course. Since the 1950’s the progress in high energy physics, molecular biology, and computer science and artificial intelligence research was so rapid that for quite a while (until about 1980) it looked as if scientific materialism (the idea that every phenomenon is a material phenomenon) is the final answer to our metaphysical quests. By the time quantum physicists introduced the first serious metaphysical alternative (monistic idealism) to materialism, it was almost too late. However, in the seventies and eighties, the fossil gaps exposed the inadequacy of neo-Darwinism as a complete theory of biological evolution, paranormal research along
with Aspect’s experim locality, the importan in modern psycholog psychology, the phe was discovered as ev tum leaps that creat suggesting, and the science gradually beg
EM: If readers have seen Down The Rabbit Hol ‘the observer effect.’ cept?
AG: Quantum mathemati possibility. But when somehow the possib cists’ jargon is “collap the observer effect. S ever change possibilit fect is a paradox (ca paradox) in materialis
EM: What caused you beyond the mainstr to one that puts you scientist? I love that
AG: Desperation that led ers call an aha! ins ity, the idea that of all being and th based on this primacy
NSCIOUS SS IS THE OUND OF L BEING
ment established quantum nonnce of spirituality was introduced gy in the form of transpersonal enomenon of quantum healing vidence for discontinuous quantivity researchers were already concept of a paradigm shift in gan to gain popularity.
n What The Bleep or its sequel le, they will have heard the term Can you please explain that con-
ics says objects are waves of an observer looks at an object, bility waves change (the physipse”) into actuality. This is called Since no material interaction can ty into actuality, the observer efalled the quantum measurement st thinking.
u to expand your awareness ream scientific understanding, u in the category of ‘renegade’ term, by the way.
d to what creativity researchsight into the nature of realconsciousness is the ground hat we can carry out science y of consciousness.
EM: How do science and spirituality weave a tapestry?
AG: Science traditionally has emphasized matter and spiritual traditions have emphasized consciousness. In quantum physics, the two emphases converge into one tapestry. The gross nature of matter allows consciousness to make representations of the subtle possibilities within it, possibilities that we refer to as vital, mental, and supramental. Vital is what we feel, mental gives us what we think, and supramental is about the archetypes that give us values to live by such as love. EM: Do we truly live in a world of infinite possibility?
AG: Yes, potentially. Most people, of course, eke out a comfort zone of conditioned existence. Quantum activism is needed to get us out of the evolutionary doldrums.
EM: This is not a theoretical question, but one that seems of utmost significance to the way in which you live your life: how do you personally discover joy?
AG: As I openly admit I live quantum activism. I have a spiritual practice using quantum principles (I call it practicing the presence of love). I also work for social change. Both activities are integrative and produce wholeness which I experience as happiness interspersed with the joy of occasional insights. EM: You have written about the scientific proof of the existence of God… can you encapsulate the ideas?
AG: The quantum principles of nonlocality, discontinuity, and tangled hierarchy cannot be simulated via material interactions. Therefore, any evidence of these things (of which there are plenty as shown in my book God is not Dead) is an evidence for a nonmaterial causal source. Traditionally we call this source God, but we don’t have to. We can equally well call it quantum consciousness. EM: Do quantum scientists sit around and talk about this for fun?
AG: Yes, sometimes. Quantum physics certainly dominates our thinking, but remember that living these principles presents its own challenges and these challenges occupy our consciousness proportionately a little more, I think. Also currently, I myself think a lot about how to change our social systems,for example, develop a spiritual economics that will make everyone into a meaning processor.
QUANTUM PHYSICS, DEPTH PSYCHOLOGY, AND BEYOND THOMAS J. MCFARLANE
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The fundamental laws of quantum physics were discovered independently in 1925 by Werner Heisenberg and in 1926 by Erwin Schrödinger in response to puzzling experimental evidence that contradicted the fundamental concepts of classical physics. For example, electrons (which were previously thought to be particles) were found to exhibit properties of waves. Conversely, light (which was previously thought to be waves) was found to exhibit properties of particles. This confusion of classical distinctions between particles and waves was resolved by Niels Bohr’s principle of complementarity, according to which the wave and particle concepts are understood to be mutually exclusive but both necessary for a complete description of quantum phenomena. A consequence of this wave-particle duality is that all matter has a wave aspect, and cannot be said to have a definite localized position at all times. Moreover, by virtue of their nonlocal wave properties, pairs of spatially separated particles sometimes exhibit nonlocal correlations in their attributes. Another consequence of the wave-particle duality is a corresponding
duality between the unobserved and the observed. This duality raises puzzling questions regarding the nature of measurement in quantum mechanics: how is it that the wave suddenly changes into a particle, and how is this sudden transformation related to observation? Although observation is evidently necessary to bring about the transition from possible to actual, the fundamental nature of observation in quantum theory remains somewhat mysterious. This problem of measurement derives from the fact that, prior to observation the quantum is described as being a nonlocal wave of probability spread throughout space, while after observation only one of the possible values is actualized. Thus, observation involves a discontinuous “collapse” (also called a “projection”) of the quantum wave function from a continuum of possibilities to a single actualized value. This projection, however, is an ad hoc element of the formalism, and is not a lawful transformation that is governed by Schrödinger’s wave equation. There is no explanation for how, when, or where this mysterious projection happens. Moreover, when the projection takes place, the laws of quantum
the existing scientific concepts cover always only a very limited part of reality, and the other part that has not yet been understood is infinite. whenever we proceed from the known into the unknown we may hope to understand, but we may have to learn at the same time a new meaning of the word understanding. - werner heisenberg
physics do not predict which of the possible values will be actualized in any given observation, thus violating classical determinism and introducing an element of acausality and spontaneity into the theory at a fundamental level. In a fundamental analysis of the quantum measurement process, John von Neumann argued that consciousness is required to explain the projection of the wave function from possibility to actuality. In particular, he reasoned that because all physical interactions are governed by Schrödinger’s wave equation, the projection that is associated with observation must be attributed to a non-physical consciousness that is not governed by physical law. According to von Neumann, this activity of consciousness only serves to cause the projection, and does not select or influence the particular value actualized. There is thus a spontaneity inherent in the projection that takes place in the transition from the unobserved to the observed. Jungian Psychology The notion of the psychological unconscious was first extensively developed in Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams, published in 1900, and further developed in his Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, published in 1905. In addition to the contents of our conscious awareness, Freud considered the psyche to also contain an unconscious region whose contents are hidden and cannot be directly observed. These unconscious contents, according to Freud, consist of previously conscious contents that have been repressed and forgotten. The unconscious is thus a kind of `skeleton closet’ containing personal psychological contents that were conscious in the past but then hidden away. Although they are no longer directly observable, these unconscious contents can be indirectly known through their effects on consciousness, such as their influence on our dreams. In Freud’s conception, the unconscious contains
only personal psychic contents that were previously conscious, but then repressed, typically during childhood. After studying with Freud, Carl Jung deepened and expanded Freud’s notion of the unconscious, most notably in his Psychology of the Unconscious, published in 1912, and his Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious, published in 1934. According to Jung, the unconscious contains, in addition to repressed personal contents, a deep and vast region of collective psychic contents, called the collective unconscious. In contrast to the personal unconscious contents that were previously conscious, the collective unconscious contents do not derive from previously conscious personal contents. Instead, the collective contents are innate and universal. In Jung’s words, "We have to distinguish between a personal unconscious and an impersonal or transpersonal unconscious. We speak of the latter also as the collective unconscious, because it is detached from anything personal and is common to all men, since its contents can be found everywhere, which is naturally not the case with the personal contents." Although the collective unconscious is present in the depths of each individual psyche, it is not subjective in the sense of being different from person to person. Because the collective unconscious is common to all individuals, it is objective in the sense that all individuals share these same deep psychic structures. As Jung writes, “The collective unconscious stands for the objective psyche, the personal unconscious for the subjective psyche.” In short, the door to the unconscious does not open up to a skeleton closet, as Freud proposed, but opens up to a larger world beyond the walls of the conscious psyche. It is important to note that between the personal and collective regions of the psyche there are various intermediate levels of depth, each having its share of universality and particularity.
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The unconscious, in other words, is not divided into distinct personal and collective regions, but rather is a continuum with the personal and universal contents at each extreme. Jung’s most important contribution and his primary interest, however, is in the deeper regions of the collective unconscious, whose structures Jung calls archetypes. Like Plato’s Ideas, the archetypes of the collective unconscious are universal patterns that shape our experience of the world and provide it with common elements. Following Kant, however, Jung considers the archetypes as epistemological structures rather than independent ontological entities: "The collective unconscious, being the repository of man’s experience and at the same time the prior condition of this experience, is an image of the world which has taken eons to form. In this image certain features, the archetypes or dominants, have crystallized out in the course of time." According to Jung’s conception of the collective unconscious, the archetypal structures are not fixed, but dynamic. Not only do the archetypes evolve over time, but they also have dynamic and creative activity in the present. Moreover, this activity is not merely a reaction to the activities of consciousness, but is inherent in the unconscious itself. As Jung explains, “If [the unconscious] were merely reactive to the conscious mind, we might aptly call it a psychic mirror world. In that case, the real source of all contents and activities would lie in the conscious mind, and there would be absolutely nothing in the unconscious except the distorted reflections of conscious contents. The creative process would be shut up in the conscious mind, and anything new would be nothing but conscious invention or cleverness. The empiri-
cal facts give the lie to this. Every creative man knows that spontaneity is the very essence of creative thought. Because the unconscious is not just a reactive mirror reflection, but an independent, productive activity, its realm of experience is a self-contained world, having its own reality, of which we can only say that it affects us as we affect it--precisely what we say about our experience of the outer world. And just as material objects are the constituent elements of this world, so psychic factors constitute the objects of that other world.” The objective psychic world, or collective unconscious, is thus similar to the objective physical world in that both worlds have objective structures and both worlds have autonomous activity independent of our personal will. For example, just as the objective physical world serves as a creative impetus for the development of our scientific worldviews, the psyche develops and evolves because the objective psyche is not merely repressed conscious contents, but has an autonomous activity that is relatively independent of our personal consciousness. Because this activity of the unconscious is relatively autonomous, it often manifests as a compensation or correction to our conscious views or beliefs. The result is an evolution of the psyche toward wholeness and integration, a process Jung called `individuation’. In an unconscious compensation, some unconscious content is spontaneously expressed or manifested in consciousness, such as in a dream, and provides the psyche with an opportunity to integrate the unconscious content into consciousness. One of the most interesting and dramatic types of unconscious compensation is the phenomenon Jung calls synchronicity.
Psyche and Matter: The Connections In attempting to understand the deepest levels of reality, it is wise to take note of Jung’s observation that our concepts are imperfect instruments, and that any conceptual representations we may form of these regions of reality will likely involve antinomies, and should be taken as being essentially symbolic rather than literal. For example, progress in the conceptual understanding of the nature of quanta was accomplished by acknowledging the principle of complementarity, which states that mutually exclusive sets of concepts must be used to completely characterize quantum phenomena in all their aspects. As Marie-Louise von Franz tells us, Jung recognized that this principle of complementar-
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Synchronicity is necessarily meaningful in the sense that it is a form of unconscious compensation that serves to advance the process of individuation. It is distinguished from other forms of unconscious compensation by the fact that synchronicity involves a connection between inner psychological experience and outer experiences in the world, where the connection is acausal in the sense that the inner experience cannot have been an efficient cause of the outer experience, or vice versa. In short, synchronicity is a meaningful, acausal connection between inner and outer events. Because the phenomenon of synchronicity involves an acausal coordination of the inner and outer worlds in a meaningful way, it is not exclusively a psychological or physical phenomenon, but is “psychoid” meaning that it somehow essentially involves both psyche and matter. Thus, Jung interpreted synchronicity to imply the existence of an extremely profound level of reality prior to any distinction between psyche and matter. In other words, synchronicity phenomena represent a manifestation in consciousness of psychoid structures present in the depths of a transcendental unitary reality Jung called the unus mundus: “Since psyche and matter are contained in one and the same world, and moreover are in continuous contact with one another and ultimately rest on irrepresentable, transcendental factors, it is not only possible but fairly probable, even, that psyche and matter are two different aspects of one and the same thing.” The unus mundus is also implied by the fact that we evidently occupy one reality that contains both psyche and matter, and that these two domains of reality are not absolutely independent and isolated, but interact with each other. As Jung says, "Psyche and matter exist in one and the same world, and each partakes of the other, otherwise any reciprocal action would be impossible. If research could only advance far enough, therefore, we would arrive at an ultimate agreement between physical and psychological concepts." Jung’s concept of the unus mundus, therefore, not only shows how matter is implicated in the depths of the psyche, but also provides a framework for integrating our understanding of psyche and matter. In this framework, both the objective psychic and objective physical worlds are rooted in a common unity at the depths of reality. Because the unus mundus is normally unconscious, it is experienced as the mysterious Other that is the infinite unseen context of our finite conscious experience. Viewed in its subjective aspect, this unified reality takes the form of a psychic domain containing psychological archetypes that manifest in our inner experience. Viewed in its objective aspect, the unus mundus takes the form of a physical domain containing the archetypal laws of nature that govern manifestations in our outer experience. If psyche and matter are, as this suggests, a single reality viewed from different perspectives, then a comparison of their common elements as revealed in physics and psychology may provide insight into the nature of reality at its deepest and most universal level.
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since the stars have fallen from heaven and our highest symbols have paled, a secret life holds sway in the unconscious... our unconscious... hides living water, spirit that has become nature, and that is why it is disturbed. heaven has become for us the cosmic space of the physicists, and the divine empyrean a fair memory of things that once were. but “the heart glows,” and a secret unrest gnaws at the roots of our being - c. g. jung
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THE WH VERSE ED IN THING THING
ity applied to psychology as well as to physics. The analogy suggested here is that the waveparticle complementarity in quantum physics parallels the unconscious-conscious complementarity in psychology. Indeed, just as the wave is the unobserved aspect of the quantum and the particle is the observed aspect, so the unconscious is the unobserved aspect of the psyche and the conscious is the observed aspect. Moreover, the wave is continuously spread throughout space, while the particle has a limited location. Similarly, Jung states that “The area of the unconscious is enormous and always continuous, while the area of consciousness is a restricted field of momentary vision.” The analogy goes even further. The quantum wave function represents probabilities, as contrasted to the actualized particle. Similarly, the archetypal structures of the unconscious represent fundamental potentialities of psychic manifestation, while conscious contents are actualizations of these potentialities. As von Franz explains, “What Jung calls the archetypes...could just as well be called, to use Pauli’s term, “primary possibilities” of psychic reactions.” This suggests that the unus mundus behind both psyche and matter is also a continuous world of potentiality. "In any case, the key to the unity of psyche and matter, and to understanding the unus mundus, essentially involves the nature of number. The understanding suggested by the above comparisons between structures in physics and psychology, therefore, is that physis and psyche are aspects of the same reality, with mathematics as a key archetypal core of both. However, we should note that the complementarity between psyche and matter (i.e., the two columns of the table above) appears distinct from the complementarity within psyche and matter." Bohm’s “ocean of energy” is a deep part of the implicate order of reality, which is distinguished from the explicate order. Typically, we are conscious of only these explicate features of reality, while the implicate features form an unconscious background. Bohm’s idea of the implicate order thus normally corresponds to the unconscious, while the explicate order corresponds to the conscious. He summarizes the idea of the implicate order as follows: "The essential feature of this idea was that the whole universe is in some way enfolded in everything and that each thing is enfolded
in the whole. From this it follows that in some way, and to some degree everything enfolds or implicates everything, but in such a manner that under typical conditions of ordinary experience, there is a great deal of relative independence of things. The basic proposal is then that this enfoldment relationship is not merely passive or superficial. Rather, it is active and essential to what each thing is. It follows that each thing is internally related to the whole, and therefore, to everything else. The external relationships are then displayed in the unfolded or explicate order in which each thing is seen, as has already indeed been indicated, as relatively separate and extended, and related only externally to other things. The explicate order, which dominates ordinary experience as well as classical (Newtonian) physics, thus appears to stand by itself. But actually, it cannot be understood properly apart from its ground in the primary reality of the implicate order." Reality is a flowing of this whole (or, in Bohm’s terms, a holomovement) with varying degrees of implication and explication. For Bohm, reality includes both psyche and matter, and the idea of the implicate order applies to mind as well as to matter, thus providing a link between the two: "We are suggesting that the implicate order applies both to matter… and to consciousness, and that it can therefore make possible an understanding of the general relationship of these two, from which we may be able to come to some notion of a common ground of both." It is significant to note that, as von Franz implies, unconscious content can be explicated to various degrees, making it more conscious. This suggests that there is not a clear distinction between the conscious and the unconscious, but rather a continuum. Indeed, Jung explicitly says: "Conscious and unconscious have no clear demarcations, the one beginning where the other leaves off. ...The psyche is a conscious-unconscious whole." Bohm seems to point out possibilities of consciousness that were not acknowledged by Jung. In particular, for Jung the unconscious is a transcendental region of reality that we can never know directly. Thus, we only know the unconscious indirectly and imperfectly from the images and other concrete manifestations that surface in consciousness. According to Bohm, however, although consciousness is habitually fixated on the explicit surface manifestations rising up from deeper implicate levels of the psyche, it is nevertheless possible to become directly conscious of these implicate orders of reality — orders of reality that Jung assumed to be forever unconscious. Thus, while Jung remains correct with regard to consciousness that is fixated exclusively on explicit orders, his statements must be qualified to allow for a consciousness that develops the capacity to be aware of subtler levels of manifestation. Such a consciousness will have the capacity for direct awareness of contents that previously would be considered transcendent, unconscious, and only indirectly knowable by inference from more explicit and concrete manifestations. The implication is that we cannot maintain a rigid or ultimate distinction between the transcendent and empirical, between the archetypes and their manifestations, or between the implicit order and the explicit order. Rather, the explicit is imbedded in and essentially integrated with the implicit, with a continuum of degrees of enfolding and unfolding uniting the two. Similarly, the manifested images of the archetypes cannot ultimately be separated from the archetypes, but must be seen as their manifested aspects that are inseparable from the archetypes in their potential-actualized wholeness.
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HOLE UNI IS ENFOLD EVERY AND EACH IS ENFOLD
what is this strange entanglement of living energies that we call sexual congress? one reason there are many answers to this question is that what we usually think of as “sex� is just one of eight possible patterns of the cosmic superimposition of life forms.
SEX BEGINS HERE:
THE META PHYSICS OF SEX JOHN STAHL
The numbers of mathematics are the clearest and most wonderful symbols for the principle mysteries of the cosmos. This was realized by Pythagoras, and represents his most important contribution to the history of ideas. To illustrate the idea very simply, I supply the mathematical images suggested by Pythagoras: the number one: a point; the number two: a line; the number three: a plane (triangle); the number four: a solid (pyramid). To these four, I add the number five: movement. The idea is that these symbols and images are keys to the primary mysteries of nature. One: the undivided whole; two: the distinction between subject and object; three: a point of perspective between subject and object that establishes a field of energy; four: the emergence into manifest reality (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter); five: the process of change. For the present discussion, I pass over the first three Arcana (primary mysteries of philosophy), and move right along to the set of four patterns produced by the conjunction of two distinctions of yang and yin. Anyone who is interested in the first three Arcana may refer to my more formal presentation of metaphysics, Patterns of Illusion and Change. I could begin the discussion of sex here, but I prefer to use the more entertaining patterns that form when a third line is introduced. Three lines produce eight trigrams, and produce a set of patterns at a level of complexity most suitable to an analysis of the possible patterns of sexual relationship. The first and third line may represent the Subject and Object of an encounter, and the third line in the middle introduces the value of the charge: positive or negative. Obviously this catalog is greatly oversimplified; however, it provides a framework by which we can discuss the merits of any particular sexual activity. We can make a distinction, for example, between the actual forms, and projections of those forms in fantasy. Consensual role playing between sadists and masochists can be a harmless way to experience an unusual source of sexual excitement (so that, hopefully, they can progress beyond it); actually deriving pleasure from inflicting real pain or suffering upon another life is a criminal act. A game such as football or chess is a harmless ventilation of aggressive energy. Actual warfare is a regrettable lapse into barbarity, above which civilization strives to ascend. We take the position that love is wonderful stuff, and that we can all use as much of it as we can get. All alliances based on expressions of love will have positive effects, regardless of the forms, the genders, or the ages of the love makers. Expressions of hostility in any form or for whatever reason can have problematic consequences, and anyone caught up in a web of hostility should try to evolve towards a transcendence of that web of darkness into the light of love.
Chên : Thunder an active subject attacking or pursuing a passive, defending, or fleeing object. Sexually, this is aggression or sadism; as a perversion it is when the infliction of pain or suffering is perceived as pleasurable.
Li : Fire an active subject in conflict with an active object. Sexually, this is simply fighting. Ever notice the similarity between wrestling and sex? Because of the warped nature of our society, a great many people are conditioned to obtain their sexual gratification from some form of fighting.
Tui : Joyous an active subject offering loving service to a passive or retreating object (boy chases girl, who runs away). Sexually, this is simply love that is not returned, although it may be accepted. If it were not accepted, the pattern would more resemble the first pattern, above.
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Ch’ien : Creative may be the only one easily recognizable as sex: both subject and object actively expressing love for each other. This is the creative act, which can result in the creation of new life.
Sun : Gentle similar to the third, with positions reversed: the subject is passive, receiving the loving attentions of the devoted object.
K’an : Water characteristic of the latter stages of the life cycle of a field of energy: there is a bond of “love” between subject and object, but neither one is actively expressing any energy.
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Kên : Mountain the opposite of the first: it is the passive subject that is subjected to the negative energy of the active object. Sexually, this is masochism, where the subject obtains pleasure being the object of negative attention.
K’un : Receptive not, strictly speaking, a variation of sexual possibility at all: it is the absence of sex; there is no contact at all between subject and object.
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A THEORY OF EVERYTHING
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for the first time in history, we have a framework with the capacity to explain every fundamental feature upon which the universe is constructed. string theory is the deepest possible theory of physics
STRING THEORY MAY UNIFY THE FORCES OF NATURE
BRIAN GREENE
The fundamental particles of the universe that physicists have identified — electrons, neutrinos, quarks, and so on — are the “letters” of all matter. Just like their linguistic counterparts, they appear to have no further internal substructure. String theory proclaims otherwise. According to string theory, if we could examine these particles with even greater precision — a precision many orders of magnitude beyond our present technological capacity — we would find that each is not pointlike but instead consists of a tiny, one-dimensional loop. Like an infinitely thin rubber band, each particle contains a vibrating, oscillating, dancing filament that physicists have named a string. The essential idea of string theory starts with an ordinary piece of matter, and repeatedly magnifyies its structure to reveal its ingredients on ever smaller scales. String theory adds the new microscopic layer of a vibrating loop to the previously known progression from atoms through protons, neutrons, electrons, and quarks. Although it is by no means obvious, this simple replacement of point-particle material constituents with strings resolves the incompatibility between quantum mechanics and general relativity (which, as currently formulated, cannot both be right). String theory thereby unravels the central Gordian knot of contemporary theoretical physics. This is a tremendous achievement, but it is only part of the reason string theory has generated such excitement.
Field of Dreams In Einstein’s day, the strong and weak forces had not yet been discovered, but he found the existence of even two distinct forces — gravity and electromagnetism — deeply troubling. Einstein did not accept that nature is founded on such an extravagant design. This launched his 30-year voyage in search of the so-called unified field theory that he hoped would show that these two forces are really manifestations of one grand underlying principle. This quixotic quest isolated Einstein from the mainstream of physics, which, understandably, was far more excited about delving into the newly emerging framework of quantum mechanics. He wrote to a friend in the early 1940s, “I have become a lonely old chap who is mainly known because he doesn’t wear socks and who is exhibited as a curiosity on special occasions.” Einstein was simply ahead of his time. More than half a century later, his dream of a unified theory has become the Holy Grail of modern physics. And a sizeable part of the physics and mathematics community is becoming increasingly convinced that string theory may provide the answer. From one principle — that everything at its most microscopic level consists of combinations of vibrating strands — string theory provides a single explanatory framework capable of encompassing all forces and all matter. String theory proclaims, for instance, that the observed particle properties — that is, the different masses and other properties of both the
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fundamental particles and the force particles associated with the four forces of nature (the strong and weak nuclear forces, electromagnetism, and gravity)—are a reflection of the various ways in which a string can vibrate. Just as the strings on a violin or on a piano have resonant frequencies at which they prefer to vibrate—patterns that our ears sense as various musical notes and their higher harmonics—the same holds true for the loops of string theory. But rather than producing musical notes, each of the preferred mass and force charges are determined by the string’s oscillatory pattern. The electron is a string vibrating one way, the up-quark is a string vibrating another way, and so on. Far from being a collection of chaotic experimental facts, particle properties in string theory are the manifestation of one and the same physical feature: the resonant patterns of vibration—the music, so to speak—of fundamental loops of string. The same idea applies to the forces of nature as well. Force particles are also associated with particular patterns of string vibration and hence everything, all matter and all forces, is unified under the same rubric of microscopic string oscillations—the “notes” that strings can play.
005 NATURE
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FROM THE BIG BANG TO DAY DREAMS: IF YOU UNDER STAND EVERY THING ABOUT THE INGRE DIENTS, YOU UNDERSTAND
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string theory is described as the “ultimate” or “final” theory. These grandiose descriptive terms are meant to signify the deepest possible theory of physics — a theory that underlies all others, one that does not require or even allow for a deeper explanatory base.
THE HOLY GRAIL OF MODERN PHYSICS A Theory to End Theories For the first time in the history of physics we therefore have a framework with the capacity to explain every fundamental feature upon which the universe is constructed. For this reason string theory is sometimes described as possibly being the “theory of everything” (T.O.E.) or the “ultimate” or “final” theory. These grandiose descriptive terms are meant to signify the deepest possible theory of physics — a theory that underlies all others, one that does not require or even allow for a deeper explanatory base. In practice, many string theorists take a more down-to-earth approach and think of a T.O.E. in the more limited sense of a theory that can explain the properties of the fundamental particles and the properties of the forces by which they interact and influence one another. A staunch reductionist would claim that this is no limitation at all, and that in principle absolutely everything, from the big bang to daydreams, can be described in terms of underlying microscopic physical processes involving the fundamental constituents of matter. If you understand everything about the ingredients, the reductionist argues, you understand everything. The reductionist philosophy easily ignites heated debate. Many find it fatuous and downright repugnant to claim that the wonders of life and the universe are mere reflections of microscopic particles engaged in a pointless dance fully choreographed by the laws of physics. Is it really the case that feelings of joy, sorrow, or boredom are nothing but chemical reactions in the brain — reactions between molecules and atoms that, even more microscopically, are reactions between some of the fundamental particles, which are really just vibrating strings? In response to this line of criticism, Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg cautions in Dreams of a Final Theory: "I would not try to answer these
critics with a pep talk about the beauties of modern science. The reductionist worldview is chilling and impersonal. It has to be accepted as it is, not because we like it, but because that is the way the world works." Others have tried to argue that developments such as chaos theory tell us that new kinds of laws come into play when the level of complexity of a system increases. Understanding the behavior of an electron or quark is one thing; using this knowledge to understand the behavior of a tornado is quite another. On this point, most agree. But opinions diverge on whether the diverse and often unexpected phenomena that can occur in systems more complex than individual particles truly represent new physical principles at work, or whether the principles involved are derivative, relying, albeit in a terribly complicated way, on the physical principles governing the enormously large number of elementary constituents. Almost everyone agrees that finding the T.O.E. would in no way mean that psychology, biology, geology, chemistry, or even physics had been solved or in some sense subsumed. The universe is such a wonderfully rich and complex place that the discovery of the final theory, in the sense we are describing here, would not spell the end of science. Quite the contrary: The discovery of the T.O.E.— the ultimate explanation of the universe at its most microscopic level, a theory that does not rely on any deeper explanation — would provide the firmest foundation on which to build our understanding of the world. Its discovery would mark a beginning, not an end. The ultimate theory would provide an unshakable pillar of coherence forever assuring us that the universe is a comprehensible place.
LIFE IS SO MAGICAL BECAUSE IT CHEATS.